An exceptionally fine bronze sculpture, created in the ‘madhuchistavidhana’ technique of the lost wax image casting, is this image of Krishna along with the serpent Kaliya. Krishna’s body has been wonderfully rendered in his ‘bala Krishna’ or childhood form, where he is seen huddled under the large hood of the serpent Kaliya, holding onto his flute.
The seated figure of Krishna has been skillfully created, with several ornamentations donning his body, where we see the fold of his ‘dhoti’ being held by his right hand. Venugopala’s flute – from which emanates the musical symphony of pure love and devotion – is held in Krishna’s left hand. Kaliya’s coiled figure is menacingly hooded over Krishna’s child-like figure, and the two images are placed on a raised pedestal.
The juxtaposition of the two icons here – of Krishna and Kaliya – is surprisingly imaginative coming from the mind of the ‘sthapati,’ for his artistic creation shows the two poised in a benign and benevolent moment. This is wholly different from the usual presentations of Krishna and Kaliya, like this bronze work, where Krishna presents his cosmic fury onto Kaliya, and performs a tandava on its hood to vanquish his demonic presence – stopping only when Kaliya’s wives beg of him to spare their husband.
Kaliya had come to reside in the waters near Vrindavan, escaping the clutches of its enemy Garuda. However, the people of Vrindavan were constantly tormented by Kaliya poisoning the Yamuna, and it fell upon the eighth avatar of Vishnu to punish Kaliya. Krishna’s dance over Kaliya’s hood allowed our ‘makhana chor’ here to release all the toxin from the serpent’s body and finally vanquish his presence.
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